What Are Friends For
by Crash AKA Valerie
Summary: Ino and Sakura spend some time together, and hold onto old promises.


**What are friends for**

Disclaimer: I don't own so don't sue

AN/ at this point I have only finished up to episode 50, so I'm sorry if any information is incorrect. Also my grammar is atrocious, so as long as you know that read and review.

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It had been four months since their battle at the second exams. Sakura was surprised, to say the least, to receive a phone call from her once best friend. Sakura had been even more surprised to hear her voice cracking in fear during the call. So of course, falling back on her old friendship habits Sakura went to comfort a frightened Ino.

She knocked lightly on Ino's door; she could hear someone quickly scrambling to their feet inside. She jumped back as Ino quickly pulled back the curtains and peeks through the glass at her. She didn't think Ino had a scary face, but her old friend was looking a little bit crazy at the moment.

Ino pulled back and moved over to the door. Sakura could hear the three sets of locks unlocking. Ino pulled the door open in a hurry and pulled her friend inside by her wrist. Ino closed the door behind them the instant her friend was inside. Before Sakura could react she was effectively pinned by her friends' bone-crushing hug.

Ino let go and stepped back from her friend, it looked as though tears could spill from her eyes at any moment. Sakura stood there wide-eyed staring at her friend. Ino looked paler than usual ,also very tired as though she hadn't slept in days. Her usually neatly pony-tailed platinum blonde hair was out of the usual tie and was terribly tangled.

"Ino, what is wrong?" Sakura asked, though she wasn't exactly sure she wanted to know. After all if something was causing Ino to skip her 'beauty sleep' something had to be wrong. Ino pulled them away from the door.

Ino pulled Sakura over to the couch. She finally released hold on her friend and sat down on the edge of the couch. She held the sides of her head in her hands and simply stared forwards at the poorly decorated wall.

"Ino, what is wrong?" Sakura asked slightly louder. Ino took her hands away from the tangles of her hair. Her crystal eyes looked into her friends emerald green ones. Ino let out a small sigh.

"Forehead girl, do you remember what our promise was when we were little kids?" Ino asked quietly. Sakura looked up to the lights on Ino's ceiling

_Sakura and Ino are sitting at the edge of a small pond. Sakura is mindlessly twirling a strand of grass in her hands as Ino strokes some of the Purple Cosmos from the flower patch around them. Sakura stopped playing with the deep green grass and looked over at her friend. Ino noticed and looked over to Sakura._

"_Forehead girl, what's wrong why are you staring at me?" Ino asked, ceasing her stroking of the flowers surrounding her. Sakura suddenly became very interested in the tadpole swimming just beneath the surface of the pond. "What is wrong?" She asked again. Sakura looked back towards her friend allowing her hand to dip into the cool water and frighten away all the baby frogs. _

"_Ino, how did you become so brave?" Sakura asked. Ino was slightly taken aback by the odd question. She plucked out a flower and held it in her lap as she spoke to her pink haired friend. _

"_It is not hard to be brave Sakura. Were you frightened when those older student came and bothered us?" Ino asked. Her cute round face tilting to the side as she asked. Her blonde hair slightly covered her left eye. Sakura became interested in the tadpole again and began chasing them with her finger._

"_It is not hard to be frightened. They are older, wiser, and far stronger than us. They also do not seem to like us very much." Sakura answered still chasing the young frogs with her finger. Ino stood up and walked over to her. She sat back down next to her friend. Sakura looked her friend in the eyes again._

"_Sakura, lets make a promise, here and now, being best friends lets always be there if the other is scared." Ino said proudly, Sakura and her stared at each other for a moment._

"_Easy for me, but you get nothing out of this deal, I am not nearly as brave as you." Sakura admitted sadly. _

"_Sakura, you will grow up to be very brave. You just have to believe in yourself." Ino said poking Sakura in the forehead. Sakura smiled lightly and went back to staring into the lake. "So will we always be there when the other is scared, at any time they need help, no matter what?" Ino asked._

"_Of, course Ino you're my best friend. I will become brave for you." Sakura said quite loudly. The two girls jumped towards each other and embraced both with big smiles on their faces._

Sakura smiled to the memory, her and Ino used to have so much fun together when they were little, it was too bad things had changed. Sasuke came between them, now those times would never happen again.

"I thought you weren't going to come." Ino admitted hands finding their way into her hair yet again. Sakura brought her gaze back to her friend. They had both grown up so much now.

"I made a promise Ino, Of course I would come. You doubt me far too easily Ino-Pig." Sakura said smiling. She sat down on the couch next to her childhood friend and recent rival. Ino looked up at her again. The barest signs of a smile gracing her tight lips. "So Ino-pig are you going to tell me what has got you so upset or what?" Sakura asked, attempting to use her playful manner to calm Ino. "Tell me what has got the fearless Yamanaka Ino so disturbed." She commanded.

"This is going to sound so childish." Ino started. "Sakura, you have gotten so brae. I remember a time when you would have hung up the phone and simply sat there fearing for me instead of doing anything." Ino changed the subject; a gleam of pride could be seen in her eyes.

"Yes, Ino, you had been right I have grown much in many ways over the years. Though Ino you are stalling, what has made you distressed?" Sakura asked pulling her legs up onto the couch and sitting on them Indian style. Ino looked over at her friend and nodded her head slowly.

"Sakura, I did not want to be alone right now." Ino admitted, she said it as though it hurt her to admit it. Sakura perked up, that was something not usually heard from Ino. "Sakura I have been receiving notes, in my room at night when I sleep." Ino said slowly. Sakura looked at her in a questioning way very similar to the way Ino looked at her in their memory. "Someone is getting into my home and leaving me threatening messages. I do not know what to do, I have not slept in days. Sakura I'm scared." She whispered the last part but Sakura heard it all the same.

"Ino, it is most likely just a prank being played by Shakamaru, or Naruto." Sakura reasoned. Ino looked at her with a doubting look. "It is nothing to worry about…"

"Nothing to worry about? Sakura people are getting into my house as I sleep and it's nothing to worry about? I am just as weak as an infant when I sleep." Ino started crying, she didn't sob like most girls but tears ran down her face all the same. Sakura stared at her friend in shock. She had known her for many years, and never once did she see her cry. "Why did you even bother to come then?" Ino asked bitterly. "After all it's nothing, you might as well go home."

Sakura stared at her in shock she had heard those words before.

"_Sakura you are worthless! You only pretended to be my friend to get Sasuke to notice you!" Ino yelled at Sakura. They both stood there staring at each other. They were sitting in the same living room they were in now, only they were slightly younger. Sakura's face portrayed nothing but shock, while Ino's was showing massive amounts of rage being withheld._

"_Ino! Where have you heard such a thing? It is not true. I would never betray your trust like that!" Sakura pleaded her case. Ino turned her head and looked at Tenten who was watching the two fight, she avoided saying a word because she had not wanted to get involved. She had been a friend to both and this fight could cause a problem. _

"_It is true! Every girl is interested in him. I should have known that. I never expected you to use me like this though! Sakura what you did was low!" Ino yelled louder._

"_Please Ino, you are my best friend. You know me better than anyone. You cannot believe whatever it is that you heard." Sakura pleaded on the verge of tears. _

"_Sakura leave! Why did you even bother to talk to me! Are friendship is worth nothing! You might as well go home!" Ino yelled. Sakura was holding back her tears with all her might. _

"_Ino, please, listen to me! You are my best friend please, listen to me!" Sakura yelled out to her friend. Ino didn't say a word she just stared at the young pink haired girl she had called her friend before. Ino stepped over to her._

"_Do not call me your friend, I will never be your friend again! You will always just be Ugly-Little-Forehead-Girl!" Ino yelled. And with that she slapped Sakura hard across the face. Sakura did not look at her, her hand just came up to rub the stinging side of her face. She didn't bother to hold back the tears any longer. She let them fall freely and she ran as fast as she could to the front door. _

"Ino, I do not want to leave. You are unhappy, Nobody should be alone if they are unhappy." Sakura said her face reflected her emotions from the memory. Ino looked up at her and smiled.

"So after all we have been through you'll still be there for me?"

"Of course, Ino-Pig, that's what friends are for." Sakura replied pushing Ino's shoulder playfully. Ino let out a weak smile. And for the first time in a few years they did what they had not done for a long time. They hugged. They sat on the couch holding each other tightly afraid that once they let go their friendship would end again.

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Naruto stared into the living room from the back window. He watched as Ino and Sakura embraced. Shakamaru looked in as well.

"After all that hard work Ino calls Sakura for help!" Naruto Whinned.

"This could prove troublesome." They both looked on as Ino pulled back slightly and kissed Sakura on the top of the head. "Ino was not even truly attracted to men anyways, or so it would seem. So Troublesome." Shakamaru Mumbled. If only they knew this kiss simply symbolized that they were willing to give this friendship another chance.

Val

Ok hit the little purple button and review. Praise, Flames, Anonymous reviews are all welcome. Please just review I like to know how I did even if its hated!


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